It includes funding the country's first stealth fighter jet in three decades from American arms producer Lockheed Martin.

The country's Cabinet secretary says Japan must strengthen its military to counter China's growing regional presence.

Katsu Nobu Cotto Way is the Japanese government need to make our defense operations more efficient to correspond to the increasingly severe security environment?

Prime Minister Yoshihide A.

Soga's record budget proposal jumped 1% from last year, and with his party being the majority in parliament, it's likely the Ministry of Defense will receive the almost $52 billion in April.

Despite a constitution that forbids the possession of offensive weapons, Japan is one of the world's biggest military spenders.

Saga is continuing in the controversial footsteps of predecessor Shinzo Abe, who reversed more than a decade of military cuts.

Su Ghous administration is considering training Japan's Self Defense Forces to strike distant land targets in China, North Korea and other parts of Asia.